In the long run, what I call this chord probably doesn't matter. In the current version of a song I'm arranging and tabbing, I'm calling it G dim7. And that's certainly one of the names it could be (since I understand diminished and diminished 7th chords can be named for any of their constituent notes).
But I'm assuming key and context make a difference. Without revealing the song (because I hope to be recording and posting it soon along with the tab) let me describe the context and maybe those more knowledgeable than I can help.
It's one of my Broadway/Great American Songbook arrangements. Song is in key of C. Standard G tuning. Playing at 96 bpm in TablEdit. It has just gone to a G7, which I fret as: 5-4-3-3. For interest and tension in the long time before the next melody note, I drop the top three strings one fret, with a slow arpeggio through 5-3-2-2 followed by top two strings pinched at 3 -- a pinch of 4-3-3 indicating a return to the G7 before moving on.
I'm calling 5-3-2-2 G dim7 because I believe I'm briefly altering the G7 for half a measure. Is there some other name it should be to better repesent its function here of providing tension that wants to resolve to the G7?
Notice the way I spell the chord, calling the top note F-flat instead of E, so that when stacked in this inversion, letter names are skipped as is good form. But as I said at the outset, it probably doesn't matter in the long run.
Anyway, have I given you enough information to name that chord? Or is G dim7 good enough?
G dim 7 is spot-on in my estimation!
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Originally posted by Old HickoryAnyway, have I given you enough information to name that chord? Or is G dim7 good enough?
While it probably doesn't matter in the larger scheme of things, it rather does matter what you call the diminished seventh chord if you care about things like voice-leading. You've indicated that you are modifying a G7 chord but I don't think you mentioned the next chord in the progression. You can track the notes of your G7 chord as a stack of individual notes, and then follow the movement of your diminished seventh note by note. The idea is that you are half-stepping into another stack of notes, and the harmonic movement (or change of chord) is identified by the bass, or lowest note in your stacked chord. Thus, the name of the diminished seventh chord relates to the two chords on either side of the event.
quote:
Originally posted by Eulalie
. . . it rather does matter what you call the diminished seventh chord if you care about things like voice-leading. You've indicated that you are modifying a G7 chord but I don't think you mentioned the next chord in the progression.
. . . you are half-stepping into another stack of notes, . . . the name of the diminished seventh chord relates to the two chords on either side of the event.
Thanks. I'm familiar with the concept of voice leading and moving by half-steps. I guess that was wrapped up in my assumption that context matters. So thanks for this.
What comes next after the G7, I'm not certain. In my tab I've written the chord as F#m7 flat 5 leading to B7. But in the chord chart I wrote in iReal Pro, it's F#7 flat 5 (not minor) leading to B7. The melody as often happens in songs such as this is not in the chord. It's the B on 1st string 9th fret.
And I'm not fretting a full chord. What I'm fingering is: X-5-7-9, C (5th fret) and F# (7th fret) being the chord tones and B (9th fret) being the non-chord melody note. If the chord is some flavor F# then C is the flat 5. But the piece sounds fine if I instead fret X-6-7-9 changing the C to C#. No flat 5. I don't remember when or why I named the chord minor 7. It's not minor in the iReal Pro file, and I imported the midi from that as the backup in my TablEdit file. I guess I'll change chord name.
To my ear, the important harmony is between the melody note of B at 9th fret and F# at 7th fret. The choice of C or C# changes the color. Both sound "right." C (flat 5) has more tension. C# sounds less dissonant.
I don't think I can retrace my steps to find which version of this song led me to these chords. I'm certain that some of the alterations are my own invention based on what I'm hearing. But I don't remember my process. I first worked this out in February 2023. I'm revisiting now to clean up my tab and my playing in hopes of recording this soon.
Thanks for your comments. My understanding of these advanced harmony concepts is pretty shallow.
Correcting myself.
I've determined that the midi backup I imported was not from my iReal Pro file but a file I generated on the website SongTrellis.com, which seems to be no longer online. In TablEdit I looked at the notes in the backing track and the chord after G7 is F#m7 flat 5. While the arrangement of what I play on banjo against the imported chords comes from different versions of chords plus my own alterations, what I'm playing on top works against the imported chords.
But this chord being F#m7 flat5 explains my choice of the C note in the tab. When I play solo without the backing track, it doesn't matter whether I play C or C#.
This doesn't make clear to me what to call the Gdim7 chord. But at least it reminds me where F#m7flat5 came from.
quote:
Originally posted by Old Hickoryquote:
Originally posted by Eulalie
. . . it rather does matter what you call the diminished seventh chord if you care about things like voice-leading. You've indicated that you are modifying a G7 chord but I don't think you mentioned the next chord in the progression.. . . you are half-stepping into another stack of notes, . . . the name of the diminished seventh chord relates to the two chords on either side of the event.Thanks. I'm familiar with the concept of voice leading and moving by half-steps. I guess that was wrapped up in my assumption that context matters. So thanks for this.
What comes next after the G7, I'm not certain. In my tab I've written the chord as F#m7 flat 5 leading to B7. But in the chord chart I wrote in iReal Pro, it's F#7 flat 5 (not minor) leading to B7. The melody as often happens in songs such as this is not in the chord. It's the B on 1st string 9th fret.
In the context of moving from a G7 to some flavor of F#7, you would want to spell the diminished seventh chord as G-A#-C#-E, in keeping with the flavor of the sharp-key harmonies. Nevertheless, what you are describing is a G diminished seventh. In terms of voice-leading between G7 and your diminished seventh chord, the G remains static, the B (third of the G7) moves to A#, the D (fifth of the G7) moves to C#, and the F-natural (flat seven of G7) moves to E. The resolution of the diminished seventh: G moves to F#, A# either remains static if major or moves to A if minor, the C# remains static or moves to C-natural if flat-five, and the E remains static as the seventh of F#7. In other words, your F#7 is mostly there in the G-diminished seventh chord, only by changing the root from G to F#.
